


Of Mutants and Men

by Mizuni_no_neko



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers, X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-16 19:40:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29705595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mizuni_no_neko/pseuds/Mizuni_no_neko
Summary: X-Mansion AUWhen Alfred goes to space camp at 16, he knows who he is. Alfred Bonnefoy, adopted son of Alice and Francis Bonnefoy, twin brother to Matthew. And most importantly, a human with no X gene who had never in his life seen a superhero in person.By the time he left, he didn't know anything anymore.Ivan has pretty much figured himself out. He even has his X-Man codename picked out. Hemlock, for the plants that grow in and out of his body. But at 17, there are still a few things he needs to figure out. Like what to do about the new kid, and whether the weightless feeling in his stomach when Alfred is around is just a result of the guy's gravity manipulation or something else entirely.
Relationships: America/Russia (Hetalia)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 28





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thought process
> 
> "Hogwarts AUs are old and tired, and should have been replaced with superhero AUs long before JK Rowling showed her ass"
> 
> "You know, the X-Mansion is basically American Better and Cooler Hogwarts"
> 
> "X-Mansion AUs also make more sense for Hetalia because kids from all around the world come to the Xavier's School anyway. No one will bat an eye at the nationality diversity of the cast!" 
> 
> And so this idea was born. I still need a break from trying to parse out the rest of 10 minutes. I'm still chugging along despite how hard a year it's been, promise. But warning, these chapters will be shorter and the plot won't be as tightly controlled. Not a lot of editing will be happening. This is going to be more like a traditional chapter by chapter/write and post fic as I feel up to it and get ideas. Just really trying to take it easy here.
> 
> Anyway fuck Rowling, all hail Claremont and Lee!

Alfred was scared. The pressure in his chest was intense, and every breath felt like it took a million years and weighed a million pounds. He wanted off, he wanted out. He just wanted the spinning to stop. Oh, god! Please let the spinning stop! 

He never should have volunteered to go first in the centrifuge! It was awful, the worst experience of his life, and there were moments where it felt like it would be the last. He'd have screamed, but he couldn't draw the breath. 

Then, suddenly, it stopped.

It was less the feeling of a weight being lifted than the feeling of becoming weightless. His whole body relaxed as if into a warm bath, like he was floating in water that was just the right temperature. The feeling grew and expanded, and _he_ expanded, dissolving into the water as he pushed past the boundaries of his physical body and outwards. He became infinite, like stars and galaxies and what lies beyond galaxies. 

Matt stared at his brother in horror from where he was clinging to a table to keep from flying to the ceiling. He'd somehow stopped the centrifuge right in its tracks in what had seemed like a fraction of a second. And then, before anyone had time to react, everything that wasn't bolted down was floating. 

And now he was just sitting there, eyes glowing with a bright bluish-white light, as Matthew found it harder and harder to fight the force pushing him upwards. 

“Alfred!” He called, trying to get through to his twin. “Alfred, you have to snap out of it!” He begged him, his fingers sweaty and slipping from the edges of the table. 

“It's going to be alright, Matthew.” He heard a gentle voice in his mind. “I'm here now.” 

“Mom?” He asked, calling out into the room. “Where are you?” 

“Look to your right.” The voice guided him gently. He let out a sigh of relief as he saw his mother strolling casually across the room towards her other son. Only, something was strange. 

The long purple cloak. The black leather spell book in her arms, with a bright green emerald peeking out embedded in the cover. The Sandals of Atalanta, The Diadem of the All Knowing Ancients, and the Amulet of Ul-Kolthet? Only one person walked around with a kit like that. 

As his mother ignored whatever power Alfred had used on everyone else and drew a beautiful obsidian dagger from a satchel at her side, Matthew came to the horrifying realization that his mother had been lying to him. She wasn't Alice Bonnefoy, Nee Kirkland, a researcher working with the library at the University of Oklahoma. 

Alice touched the dagger to Alfred's temple, channeling emerald green magic through it. His twin's eyes slid shut, still glowing eerily behind his eyelids as he slumped in the centrifuge. His mother waved her hands, making a pattern in the air with the dagger, and Alfred floated gently out of the seat and into her arms. 

His mother, who he had always thought was something of a frumpy, grumpy sourpuss; who he had never in a million years expected to wear anything like the silly get up she had on; who had always warned him that the life of a superhero was nothing he'd ever want.....was Athame. One time apprentice to Doctor Stephen Strange, Sorcerer Supreme and Master of the Mystic Arts. Reserve member of the Avengers and known ally of the X-Men. Leader of the Wardsmen, a defunct superhero group that had disbanded when two of their members had died. A living, breathing witch, a superhero.

And his mom. 

“Mom, what's going on?” He asked as she waved her dagger at him and he felt himself sink to the floor. “What about everyone else?” 

“Your father will handle them, Matthew.” Alice assured him gently. “We need to get Alfred away from them. Once they're out of his area of effect, they'll be okay.” 

“D-dad's here too?” He asked, heart sinking. They'd both been lying, hadn't they?

“I'll explain later, when we've gotten your brother somewhere safe.” She said, ushering him along. “The jet should be here any minute now.” 

“The jet?” Matthew asked.

“Yes, Matthew, the jet. I wouldn't fly you boys all the way to Westchester myself in this cold with your brother in the state he's in.” Alice admonished, as if Matthew should have known that. 

“Westchester? That means.....”

Alice used her magic to open the door to the facility to reveal a Blackbird in the process of landing on the open field next to the fire pit where all the space camp kids had sing-a-longs and roasted hot dogs. 

“Yes, Matthew. We're taking your brother to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.”

~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~

Mr. Summers was droning on about some equation Ivan didn't particularly care about, his boring voice and boring attire and boring attitude and generally boring presence pressing down on Ivan as he doodled in his notebook. He could just read the textbook later, it's not like he couldn't figure it out on his own.

He was putting the finishing touches on a stick figure drawing of Mr. Summers lecturing him to pay attention, reading “Listen to me because I'm a Boomer and I'm boring and important!” One of his finest works to date. He just had to make sure the eyebrows were drawn thicker than Athame's and he'd be-

“I'm a Millenial, actually.” Mr. Summers' unamused voice came from over his shoulder. Ivan jumped, looking up at the teacher with eyes as big as saucers. The teacher stared back at him, mouth drawn into a tight line and arms crossed over his chest. He let out a heavy sigh. 

“Ivan, this is the third time this week I'll be sending you to the-” He started, only to stop short and put a hand to his stomach. 

Ivan didn't even question why, he could feel it too. The sudden lurching, as if he'd just been dropped a long way in one of those theme park rides. His head began to feel light. Dizzy, yes, but also literally lighter in weight. A flower, he didn't have time to check what type, grew into his hand to give him something to fidget with as his anxiety mounted. 

“Mr. Summers? What's happening?” Ivan asked, as the other students started to murmur among themselves. 

“Let me contact the Profes- woah!” And just like that, the room seemed to turn upside down as Ivan, Mr. Summers, all of the students, and even the class hamster shot up into the air. 

Ivan panicked, vines snaking out from under his skin and grabbing frantically to his desk, dragging him down and anchoring him until he'd gotten over the sudden shock. More vines whipped out. Ivan grabbed Mr. Summers first, rooting him to the ground with his own pothos. Some of the students had their own abilities to anchor themselves. Prehensile tails, density shifting, telekinesis. The unlucky ones, Ivan grabbed and set down in their desks, spreading a carpet of vines across the floor to keep everyone stuck to it. 

“As I'm sure you can tell by the fuss....” Mr. Summers started, coughing lightly to get their attention and clear the tension in the air. “The Professor says we have a new student. He had to pass under the classrooms for a moment, and his powers were only just activated today. That's all.”

Scattered murmurs of sympathy arose from the classroom of teenagers, all of them likely remembering the first time their own powers had manifested. As they felt the gravity in the room return, and their bodies settle back down in their seats, the sympathy turned to excitement. A new kid! 

Ivan quietly released the vines, letting Mr. Summer's pothos go back to its pot only a little bigger and bushier than before. His own vines snaked back under his skin, resting in what in a normal person would be his blood vessels. 

“Thank you, Hemlock. Good work today, it was your quick thinking that kept the situation calm.” Mr. Summers said, nodding at him solemnly from his desk. 

“Do I still have to go to the Professor's office?” Ivan asked meekly.

“No. I think the Professor is going to be busy for a while longer with our new student.” Mr. Summers said. Ivan breathed a sigh of relief. 

“Which is why you'll be serving detention today after classes instead.” The teacher finished. Ivan groaned and let his head fall to the desk. Of course!

“Now, where were we?” Mr. Summers asked, picking the dry erase marker back up and approaching the board. “Ah, right...”

He wished he was still in Ms. Pryde's math class. Mr. Summers was such an ass! Ivan hit his head on the desk and tried to will himself out of existence. When it didn't work, he went back to his rude drawing of the teacher with no remorse. What was he gonna do? Give him more detention? 

“Ivan, if you don't pay attention and stop doodling, I'll make it a week.” Mr. Summers warned, not even taking ruby-visored eyes off of the board. 

Ivan slammed his notebook shut and slouched down into his chair with his arms crossed. “Yes, Mr. Summers.” He pouted. 

This was going to be a long year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh making Scott say he's a Millenial makes me feel old
> 
> But it's true


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matt learns a bit more about their situation, but not nearly enough. Katya is tired.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so you know, I'm considering everything in this story (as in, my ideas and how I use characters) to be creative commons or public domain. If you've wanted to write a superhero AU and didn't know what powers and names to give people but like the ones I use? Take em, they're for everyone. You don't want to write a superhero AU, but you're doing some magic shit and you like the weird names I give Alice's attacks and gadgets? Use them. You want to do a translation? Link it to me so I can post that link somewhere in the notes or something. I'd rather you not just post it wholesale somewhere else without credit, but honestly it's no skin off my nose if you do. I'm stealing from both Hima and Marvel right now. If I complain about someone stealing from me who tf do I look like?
> 
> Also while I'm writing this on my laptop, I'm posting on my phone because I have no home internet. So the lack of real tags, any formatting errors, etc, that's why

The ride in the jet was silent, and quicker than it had any right to be. They hadn't even been in there an hour, he thought to himself, and yet they'd already touched down. Who was building these things, NASA? He wouldn't be surprised if they had someone. Superheroes, even the ones the government didn't like, always had the best toys. 

He looked at the book in his mother's lap. 

The best toys, indeed. Elizabeth Southern's Grimoire was nothing to sneeze at when it came to magic. The leader of the Pendleton Coven had been powerful and ancient by the time the witch hunters had caught up with her in Lancaster. He wondered where she'd gotten it. 

How had he not known? Athame didn't wear a mask, she'd been on TV several times with the Avengers and Wardsmen. He knew he'd seen her face before, so why did it feel like he couldn't quite recall it or match it up with his mothers?

“So you use a glamour?” He asked quietly as the Blackbird touched down outside of the mansion in upstate New York. 

“Hm?” Alice looked up from where she'd been dutifully fussing with Al's hair. 

“When you're Athame. You use a glamour so we can't tell it's you. Well, so no one can tell it's you. I'm not accusing you of doing it to hide it from us in particular.” Matthew said, tightening his grip on the straps keeping him in his seat. 

“Yes. I use magic to conceal myself. For you, more than from you. Matthew, I wasn't lying when I told you that the life of a superhero is complicated and full of compromises you don't want to make. One of those for your father and I has been hiding our alter egos from you for your own protection.” Alice sighed, smoothing her fingertips over the sleeping twin's round cheek. 

“How does that protect us? Wouldn't we feel safer knowing our mom and dad were....special?” He asked, not quite willing to say the word “superhero” yet in regards to his parents. 

“No.” She said, matter-of-fact. “Every time we left the house you'd wonder if we were going to be okay. Every time we told you we'd be back in just a moment and then disappeared for a week, you'd go half mad with worry. You'd watch the reports on the news and not see a group of professionals hard at work who knew what they were doing, you'd see your parents and their friends in mortal danger. I couldn't do that to you. And that's without even taking my enemies and what they would do if they found my children into account. Ask Wanda Maximoff what being a mother and a superhero at the same time can do to you.”

“Mom, you need to tell me right now if me and Alfred are figments of your imagination powered by pieces of Mephisto's soul.” Matthew snarked. 

Alice snorted. “No, Matthew. You're not demon-spawn, you're just Mutants.” 

“B-both of us!?” Matthew stammered, the color draining from his face. 

“You're identical twins, Matthew. Did you really think your brother has the X gene and you don't?” Alice deadpanned. Matt at least had the good grace to look sheepish. 

“I guess....I just hadn't considered what all of this,” He gestured vaguely at his brother, “means for me.” 

“It means that soon enough, your mutation will manifest as well.” Alice said gently. “And that you need to be ready for that.” 

Mathew nodded slowly. “Will it be like Al's? Will we have the same powers?” He asked. 

“I don't know.” Alice said. “It's likely, though. The X gene tends to produce the same general effect in members of the same family. Cyclops and his brother Havoc both use blasts of red concussive force energy. Jean Gray and all of her children that keep coming back from the future are all telepaths. And being twins, it's likely that you'll have very similar powers. But not guaranteed, both of your biological parents were mutants.” 

Matt felt the air being sucked out of his lungs.

“You....never talk about our other parents.” He said slowly. Alice gave him a sideways glance and a sad smile. 

“It's a painful memory, darling.” She said softly, stroking Alfred's hair. “And one best saved for when your brother is awake to hear it as well.” 

“Mom, I need-” 

“Apologies for the wait, Athame.” Matthew was cut off as the furry blue man who had come to pick them up left the cockpit. “Charles wanted to assess Alfred's mind before letting him into the school in this state. He's working on calming him now, and we have a path prepared that will take him past as few students as possible.”

“Understandable, Hank.” Alice waved him off. “The only thing keeping us on the floor of this plane is my magic, and I can't extend that over every student and X-Man in the school.”

“Yes, precisely. Well, the Professor is waiting for us inside. Hopefully by the time we get to him, he'll have brought your son back from wherever he's gone.” He said, looking at the sleeping boy in his longtime friend's arms. Matt couldn't help but think about the fact that his eyes were still _glowing_ and how weird that was. Would it ever stop? Or would Al's eyes be weird masses of white light forever? 

“Lead the way, Beast.” Alice said, standing up with Alfred as if he weighed no more than a doll. Maybe he did, his mom was magic after all.

Matthew trailed behind, everything that had happened sinking onto his heart like a weight. Was he going to have to stay here, too? His mutation hadn't manifested yet, couldn't he go home? He just wanted to disappear. Maybe if they couldn't see him, they couldn't take him away from his friends and family and make him live in some stuffy private school in bum fuck nowhere. 

He wished he was invisible.

~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~

Ivan stabbed at his lunch, sitting in the branches his favorite oak tree on the back grounds. It was a twisted thing, older than the United States and one of the few trees in the area that had managed to never be cut down or die in all the hundreds of years it had stood here. Its energy was slow, steady, and of great comfort to Ivan. He always came out here when he was upset. That's how Katya knew to find him here.

“Vanya, dear, please come down.” She coaxed gently. He'd been so touchy lately, and she didn't want to startle him into digging in his heels.

“Nyet, I don't want to.” He replied petulantly, his vines wrapping more tightly around the trunk. 

“At least come and put your roots down. You need more than just food, you know.” She huffed. Why did he have to be so difficult all of the time? Was she this bad as a teenager? She couldn't have been.

“My roots are in the tree, I'll be fine.” Ivan whined. So the carrot wasn't working, eh? Maybe she'd try a little bit of the stick. 

“Stealing your nutrients from that poor old tree, Vanya? Shame.” She tutted. “Come down here and get your minerals from the soil.”

“You're only saying that so I have to talk to you about stupid Mr. Summers.” Ivan said, turning away from her on the branch. 

“Maybe.” Katya hummed. “But that doesn't change the fact that you need to leave your poor tree alone if you want to keep it.” 

Ivan glowered at her, but sent down a few of his thicker vines to brace on the ground and the trunk to shimmy him down. 

Petulantly flopping to the grass, Ivan let his roots grow deep into the soil where he could suck up all the things he needed that human food didn't provide. When you had plants instead of blood, eating was weird. 

“There, are you happy?” He huffed at her. Dear Lord in Heaven what had gotten in to her sweet little brother? He was becoming a nasty little brat!

“I will be when you tell me what happened with 'Stupid Mr. Summers'.” She said, sitting down next to him and patting his head. Her other hand closed for a moment, and when it opened a large pink seed sat in her palm. “Here, have a sweet.” She cooed.

Ivan took it, turning it over in his palm before biting into it. “It tastes like Mama's raspberry zefir.” He said quietly, taking another bite.

“Do you feel a little better now?” She asked. He nodded, not looking at her. “Do you want to tell me what happened?” Ivan huffed and took a big bite out of the seed, chewing aggressively. 

“He's so boring, Katya!” He complained around mouthfuls. “How am I supposed to pay attention in a class taught by _that_ living piece of drywall!?” 

“Scott isn't that boring, Vanya, that's rude.” His sister admonished.

“Oh, so it's _Scott_ now?” Ivan said with a huff. 

“Yes, it's Scott now. I'm not a student anymore, Vanya. It would be weird for me to call my team leader Mr. Summers.” She said, laughing fondly and brushing a lock of hair out of her brother's eyes. Sometimes the brattiness was cute on him. It reminded her of when he was even younger and cuter. 

“Right, the mighty X-Woman Samara. Why am I even bothering you with my stupid high school problems?” Ivan asked sarcastically. Katya sighed. 

“Because I'm your big sister and I love you and I'd care about your stupid high school problems even if I was an Omega Level Mutant who could control the fabric of reality.” She said softly, pinching his cheek. 

Ivan sat up, gathering his legs to his chest and leaning on his sister. “I miss Mama and Papa. And Natasha. And home.” He said softly, burying his face in her shoulder. 

“I know, _dorogoi_.” She answered, petting his head. “But our place is here, now. Where you can learn to use your powers and get a good education and I can help all of Mutantkind and make the world better so it's not so scary for you.”

“Why can't I be an X-Man? I have good control over my powers! I know how to fight! I get the highest individual scores in the Danger Room in my class!” Ivan whined. 

“Ivan, you're 17. Still a child. You have no business on a battlefield and Mama and I have agreed that we won't budge on that.” Katya said sternly, leaving no room for argument. They'd had this conversation a million times, and she didn't have the energy for it when he was already in trouble. “And it's funny that you specified individual scores, Vanya. Because I seem to recall that your teamwork scores are nothing to write home about.” 

Ivan blushed through his scowl. “I don't need-”

“That you think that is why I won't allow the Professor to put you on a team.” Katya cut him off, pinning him with her “mom stare”, channeling Tatiana Braginskaya's wrath from thousands of miles away. Ivan shrank back from it and she felt a small twist of pride in herself. She'd be a good Mama one day. “You're far too immature, and far too reckless. That you couldn't even resist aggravating your teacher in the most childish way possible shows both of those to be true. You want to be on a team, Vanya? Start by trying not to piss off the man that leads them.” 

“Wolverine-” He started. 

“Logan is different. And you aren't him.” Katya said. “You'll serve your detention with no fuss and you'll stop being so disrespectful.”

“But sestr-”

“Or I'll have Mr. Summers pick Mama and Papa up in the Blackbird for a visit to the Professor about your behavior and you'll see how much you really missed them, little brother.” Katya said, her tone making it clear that the conversation was over. Ivan's face screwed up like a cranky toddler about to start crying. That's honestly how Katya saw him sometimes, it was exhausting. 

“Fine! You're never any fun anymore, Katya!” Vanya spat, pulling up his roots and stomping away, his lunch plate forgotten on the ground. Not any fun anymore? Was he 17 or 7?

Katya sighed, rubbing her temples. Could this kid please hit 21 already? She'd already lost hope for him improving by 18. Maybe what she would be bringing back from her latest mission tomorrow would cheer him up.

She could only hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Samara is the technical name for a winged seed. Katya has the ability to produce different kinds of seeds that do different things. Some explode, some taste good, some are medicinal, some are poison. 
> 
> The Pendleton Witches were a group of two families and a few other assorted people who were tried for witchcraft in England. In Marvel if you're tried for witchcraft that usually means you really were a witch. Or a time traveller. Or a mutant. Or maybe all three, comics are weird.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alfred wakes up. Ivan's in for a rude awakening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disregard the earlier A/N if you saw it. I'm in a shit place. Comments that don't make me feel good will be deleted (this does NOT include concrit. If it's about the story I'm open. If it's not, leave it at the door or I'll delete it)
> 
> Daily uploads will probably stop now. But I wrote ahead yesterday so you still have content coming. Maybe once a week, maybe more, maybe less. We'll see

_Endless._

_Limitless._

_Infinite._

A sea of stars, then an endless void of darkness, then one of light. They cycled so fast and yet he spent an eternity in each. 

Where was he? _I am everywhere._ What was happening? _Happening....happening...happening..._ How long had he been here? _Time is meaningless, you are infinite. I am infinite._ What does that mean? _Mean....mean....meaningless..._ What was whispering in his head? _You....I....we....Limitlessssss...._

**Alfred, can you hear me?**

Who are you?

**My name is Charles Xavier. Do you know who I am?**

Yeah, you run that Mutant school. Am I a Mutant? _We are limitless_

**Yes, Alfred, you are a Mutant. And a rather powerful one, it seems. You caused quite a stir at space camp, and among some of the staff and students here.”**

I didn't mean to! The centrifuge was just spinning so fast, and I just wanted it to stop. 

**I know, Alfred. It was an impressive display, but I know you didn't mean to frighten anyone. That's why you're here. So we can help you control these abilities.**

Did I....hurt anyone? 

**No, Alfred. Everyone is safe and unharmed. Your parents acted quickly. Your mother in particular seemed to sense that something like this would happen soon.**

My parents? What do they have to do with any of this?

**I feel like it would be better to explain once you've woken up.**

Woken up? But I'm not asleep.

**But you are, Alfred. You're in your mother's arms, being carried toward my office as we speak. I'm going to clear your mind and let you rest for the remainder of the way and when you wake up, you'll be in my office and we can talk.**

Oh...okay, I guess. I'll see you soon, then?

**I look forward to it, Alfred.**

Alfred had only a split second to realize that the whispering voice had quieted before he had no awareness with which to realize anything at all.

~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~

Ivan grumbled to himself as he trudged out of Ms. Munroe's Ecology class, dreading spending a whole hour of his precious after school time sitting in a quiet room doing extra work under the watchful eye of Mr. Summers. He'd probably make him write an essay on why not paying attention in class was impacting his future. Or pull some old timer shit and have him write “I will not draw Mr. Summers as a bushy-browed Boomer” one hundred times on the white board.

So imagine his shock when he was met with his teacher in full X-Men attire, his ruby-quartz glasses switched out for the visor he wore during combat. 

“Mr. Summers, what's going on?” He asked warily. 

“Suit up, Hemlock. We're going to the Danger room.”

~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~

Alice smiled softly as the light faded from behind Alfred's eyelids. His face had relaxed, the tension in his muscles releasing as whatever Charles had done worked. He was sleeping now, actually sleeping and not simply under her spell.

“There now, Poppet. I'm sure that's better.” She said softly, pressing a kiss to his golden little head. She'd had a feeling that Alfred would have somewhat of a...bombastic first experience with his powers. He had never done anything quietly in his life and she hadn't expected him to start now. 

She blew open the doors to Charles' office with a spell before either the animal-man scurrying ahead of her or the telepath waiting inside could get it and waltzed in as if she owned the place. Alfred floated gently down into one of the plush armchairs as Alice seated herself. She cast a quick glance around for her other son and frowned. Where had Matthew gone off to?

She supposed that this realization was a lot to take in. Especially when he hadn't even gotten his own powers yet. Maybe he'd gone to think somewhere alone, or look about the school. She couldn't imagine what he was feeling right now. Perhaps it was best to leave him up to his own devices for a while while she met with Xavier about the more pressing matter at hand. 

“So it's finally happened.” She sighed. 

“So it has.” Charles nodded. 

“Well we knew it would eventually. When two Mutants reproduce, it almost always results in a Mutant. The odds of them being baseline human were slim.” Beast said, adjusting his glasses up his snout. 

“Is that what you tell every parent that now has to send their child states away where they won't see them except over holidays?” Alice snorted. 

“Not all of the students here have parents that want to see them over the holidays. And of those that do, many live halfway around the world.” Charles reminded her. “You and the twins are lucky. Not only do you live in the same country, you have access to spells that can bring you to them in an instant.”

“I know, I know.” Alice said, huffing. “Just let me deal with my prematurely empty nest in my own way, will you?”

“When you tell us where you've been these past 15 years.” Beast said lightly. “You rarely answer calls from the Avengers unless it's an emergency and you haven't stepped foot in the mansion since....well.” 

Alice sighed. “Exactly. After Pihla and Berwald died, I couldn't....there were just too many memories here.” 

“So where have you been? In Texas?” Beast asked. That was where they had picked them up, so she understood the assumption.

“Oklahoma. I couldn't think of many other states that I thought about less. And I figured if I could barely think to live there, anyone looking for the boys would barely think to look there.” Alice said. “I took a job at the University in Norman. Francis was sent as a SWORD liason to a project at Tinker Air Force Base. We made it work. For fifteen long years, we made it work.”

“What about Iowa?” Beast asked. 

“What about Iowa?” Alice asked, confused. 

“No one thinks about Iowa.” He stated with a sage nod. 

“You're right, I didn't even think of Iowa.” Alice said, scratching her chin. “I'll remember that if I ever have to go into hiding again. Still, we should get down to brass tacks. Charles, could you call Matthew back? He should hear this as well.” 

“No need, Matthew has been here this entire time.” He said, gesturing to a corner that for all the world looked empty to her. “It seems as if the twins powers decided to manifest themselves on the same day.”

Alice turned toward the corner in alarm. “Matthew?” She asked, as a sheepish 16 year old materialized in front of her. 

“Sorry, mom. I didn't realize I was invisible.”


End file.
